Spike retainer



19' 1,621768 March 7 H. o. CRIPPEN SPIKE RETAINER Filed June 22. 1925 2sheets-Sheet '1 wefiz-er a cve/e zw Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT ori ice.

HERBERT o. onirrlnn, or oriioeeo, ILLINOIS.

sP'iKE RETAINER Application filed June 1925. serial in. $8,758.

This invention relates to im rovements in spike retainers, and has forone ot' its principal objects the provision of retaining means forspikes or the like, particularly railroad spikes, whereby the spike,upon being driven into place in conjunction with the retaining means ofthis invention, will be securely maintained in desired position.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide, in a spikeretaining means or the like, an element which can be used in conjunctionwith an ordinary spike, nail, or screw, without any adaptation of thespike thereto, and which can be applied to the spike or nail and usedtherewith without extra labor.

Still another important object of this invention is to provide, in aretaining means particularly for railroad spikes, elements whichautomatically s read when the spike is driven s'o'as to securely gripthe material of the tie, and an additional element which is more or lessautomatically brought into retaining position with respect to the headof the spike.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and followingspecification. I

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a perspective View or the improved spike retainer of thisinvention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the spike retainer as adapted toan ordinary railroad spike and about to be ap lied to a tie plate.

Figure 3 is a detail view, partly in section,

' showing the spike and retainer as driven into osition in conjunctionwith a rail, tie, and tie plate.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a slight modification oftheinvention;

Figure 5 is a somewhat similar perspeclive view illustrating themodification shown in Figure d as applied to it wood screw or the likesometimes used in railroad construction.

AS shown in the drawings: 7

The reference numeral '10 indicates generally the body of the improvedSpike retainer of this invention, comprising essentially a metal platebent into rectangular shape aeshown, and with the bent ovcr ends sligltl separated so as to form a slot 12;

ll with the body 10 a 'plurality nil-ing spur elements 145, preferablyfont in number, and with two on each side, as shown, the lower ends ofthese spur ele ments being pointed and formed straight on one side andslightly curved enthe inner side, as shown at 1'6, so as to insure aspread ing actionwhen driven.

it will he noted that the lower edges of the body 10 are beveled, as at18', so to rovide a cutting or penetrating edge, thereby insuring a moreready penetration of the material of the tie; V

Integral with the body 10, and extending upwardly and outwardltherefrom, is a locking element 20, preferably in the form illustrated,and it will be noted that the point 22 at which the element 520 springs:lrcm the main body 10 is at the bottom of a notch or the like cut intothe body 10, this arrangement providing for a more suitable conformingof the locking element 20 to the head 24 of the spike 2'6, and further,providing tor a co-operation between the back of the member 20 and thecorresponding portion of the opening in the tie plate 28,

whereby the member 20 will be autoinati= oally bent upwardly from theposition shown in Figure l to approximately a vertical position as thespike 26 is driven into the tie 30 through the tie plate 28. Theupwardly ext-ending end of the looking member 20 can then be bent overinto locking position with respectto the head 24 or the spike 26, asshown in Figure 3.

As the members 14 penetrate the material of the tie 30 the beveled orcurved inside edges 16 will. insure a spreading of the mem bers 14 fromthe positions shown in Figures 1 and 2, into the outwardly divergingpositions shown in Figure 8, whereby the locking element 10 is securelyretained in position in the tie 30. The spreading of the members 14 isalong separate outward paths independent of the course of the spike, andthis spreading action compresses the grain of the wood so as to preventany tendency of the tie to split. 1

The bending of the member 20 over the head of the spike will accordinglylock the spike into a fixed relation with respect to the tie 30, therebymaintaining the rail 32 in practically immovable relation with the tieand the tie plate.

The modification shown in Figure 4 comprises a body member 84:substantially the same as the body member 10, but formed into a circularshape, as distinguished from rectangular, and is adapted to be appliedto wood screws, nails, or the like of circular cross-section, one ofwhich is illustrated at 36 in Figure 5. The outline of the outwardlyextending integral locking member 38 is, in Figures 4 and 5, shown assomewhat circular to conform to the circular screw head orthe like, butit will be obvious that the contour, shape, and construction of theco-operating elements may be varied as desired or necessary. In theevent that it becomes necessary to remove a spike which has been lockedby this device, the bent-over member 20 is pried rearwardly, allowingthe spike to be raised slightly, after which a chisel or the like can beinserted into the opening 12 andthe spike may then be withdrawn. Thelocking member may also in this manner be removed, if necessary.

It will be obvious that herein is provided a locking means for railroadspikes or the like, which, when used with a spike, will automaticallyact to retain the same in desired position and without any danger of thespikes pulling out or becoming loose, even under the most severeconditions of service. Further, the locking element may be economicallymanufactured and readily applied to the spikes, tie plates, and railsalready in use without modifying the same in any way. Again, theoperation being practically automatic, renders the device fool proof andinsures its correct action under all circumstances.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction varied throughout a wide range without departing from theprinciples of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limitingthe patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the priorart.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spike retainer, comprising in combination, a body formed toencircle a spike, material gripping members extending from the body, aspike retaining element also integral with said body, and means forautomatically spreading the material gripping elements upon applicationof the same. I

2. A spike retainer, comprising in combination, a body formed topartially encircle a spike, material gripping membersextending from thebody, a spike retaming element also integral with said body, and meansfor automatically spreading the material gripping elements uponapplication of the same, said means comprising curved inner faces onsaid material gripping elements.

3. A spike retainer, comprising in combination, a body formed toencircle a spike, material gripping members extending from the body, anda spike retaining element also inte ral with said body, said spike headretaining means including an upwardly and rearwardly extendingprojection, the line of juncture of said projection with the body beinglower than the upper edge of the said body.

4. A spike retainer, comprising in combination, a body formed toencircle a spike, material gripping members extending from the body, aspike retaining element also integral with said body, said spike headretaining means including an upwardly and rearwardly extendingprojection, the line of juncture of said projection with the body beinglower than the upper edge of the said body, and a pair of notches in thebody, the bottom of each notch coinciding with the aforesaid lines ofjuncture.

5. A retaining device for spikes, comprising in combination, a tieplate, a spike, and a spike retainer, the body of said spike retainerformed to partially surround the spike between it and the correspondingopening in the tie plate, and means on the spike retainer adapted toautomatically lock the spike in driven position.

6. A retaining device for spikes, comprising in combination, a tieplate, a spike, a spike retainer, the body of said spike retainer formedto surround the spike between it and the corresponding opening in thetie plate, means on the spike retalner adapted to automatically lock thespike in driven position, said means comprising a rearwardly extendingprojection integral with the retainer, and means for verticallystraightening the same upon application to the tie plate.

7 A securing device for rails, comprisin a spike, a band partiallysurrounding said spike, dilatable spurs integral with the band andpositioned with respect to two sides of the spike, and penetrating edgesformed on the band positioned with respect to the other remaining facesof the spike.

S. A securing device for rails, comprising a spike, a band surroundingsaid spike, d1- latable spurs integral with the band and positioned withrespect to two sides of the spike, and penetrating edges formed on theband positioned with respect to the other remaining faces of the spike,together with means integral with the band for locking the spike indriven position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HERBERT O. CRIPPEN.

